The Miracle
by Pip3
Summary: Jack's been pretty sick. What's wrong with him and can it be fixed? complete
1. Default Chapter

****Disclaimer**** I do NOT own the Newsies. 

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Kloppman walked up the squeaky staircase to wake up the newsboys. THe first bunk closest to the door was Jack Kelly's. He stepped up to the bunk. 

"Hey, Cowboy. Hey, wake up. Carry the banner." He said as he shoved Jack's back. Jack mumbled and rolled over to face Kloppman. Kloppman was caught by surprise. "Cowboy, you got a bloody nose. What happened? I don't see any bruises." 

"Wha-?" Jack wiped a hand across his face, and saw that his hand was bloodied. He jumped off his bunk to get washed up, and Kloppman continued to wake the other newsies." 

"Heya, Jack. Woah, pink water. You run into the Delancey brothers last night?" Racetrack asked as he walked up to Jack. 

"Nah... must be the dry air." Jack answered. 

"Yeah, it happens." 

~~/~@ 

"Hey, Weasel, I think I'll take fifty papes today," Jack said as he slapped down his money. 

"Only fifty?" 

"Well, I got a headache. Don't feel much in the selling mood." Jack admitted. He took his papers and waited for David to get his. 

"So, you're feeling ill?" David asked him. 

"Ehh... ya can't always feel great." Jack shrugged. David nodded in agreement and they both went to sell their papers. 

After about two hours, Jack asked to take a break. 

"Yeah, fine by me. You never break except when I beg you to. What's going on?" David asked. 

"I'm just not feeling good. Kinda hot actually." He said truthfully. 

"Maybe we should just head to the lodge so you can rest." David suggested. 

"Nah, I'm fine. See?" Jack stood up and walked on his way to sell the rest of the papers. 

By lunch time, they were both exhausted and sold their last paper on the way to the restaraunt. They saw everyone standing outside and looked at each other with questions in their eyes. 

"What's going on?" David asked them as they approached. 

"Some people had reservations. They're too full for us." Mush answered with an annoyed tone to his voice. 

"We'll just have to go back to the lodge for some food." Jack said. Everyone agreed with him, and together they all went. 

~~/~@ 

That night everyone was sitting around the lodge conversing or playing poker with Race. Jack sat on his bunk overlooking the rest of the newsies with David. 

"Hey, Jack... your nose is bleeding." David pointed out. 

"Oh crap, again?" Jack jumped off his bunk to go wash his face and stop the bleeding. 

"Hey, what did Jack mean 'again'?" David asked. 

"Oh, this morning he had a bloody nose also." Race said. 

"He did?" 

"Yeah... said it must be the dry air." 

Just then, Jack walked out of the washroom looking pale and shaky. 

"Hey, Jack what's wrong?"Much, who was next to the door, asked. 

"I dunno... I don't feel good." And with that, Jack passed out. He was caught by Mush. 

"Hey!" Mush yelled to get everyone's attention. The others newsies rushed over to help. David and Mush both laid Jack on the bunk below his own. 

"Hey, what's wrong with Jack" Les asked. He'd been watching the poker game and now stood beside the bed where Jack was lying pale and unconscious. 

"I don't know, Les." David answered him. "Hey, Race, can you take Les home for me?" 

Race nodded and led the kid out of the lodging house. On his way out, he told Kloppman what had happened. Kloppman caled the doctor and then rushed up to the bunk room. 

"Let me see him." He instructed the newsies. They all parted to make way for Kloppman. He sat on the bed and inspected Jack. "He only took fifty papes today." Mush supplied. 

"Yeah, and he seemed really tired all day... and he complained of a headache once." David added. 

"Ok, thank you." Kloppman put a hand on Jack's forhead, but felt no fever. Then Jack started to wake. 

"Hey Jack, you scared us." Kid Blink said from behind David. 

"What happened... and why is everyone starin' at me?"Jack asked, confused. 

"You passed out. We were all worried." David answered. Kloppman shooed away all the newsies except for David, Mush, and Crutchy. 

"Cowboy, I got the doctor on his way. He'll be checking you out. See what's wrong." Kloppman told him. 

"Yeah, ok." Jack agreed softly. 

"No resistance? No insisting that you are fine? You never admit to being sick." Crutchy said in surprise. 

"Yeah, well I never passed out and had bloody noses before for no reason. And I never felt this bad." Jack groaned. 

"What exactly feels bad?" David asked. 

"My head. It feels like it's gonna explode." 

"Well, the doctor will be here soon, Cowboy." Kloppman told him. 


	2. Chapter 2

***Author's Note*** Thank you to SparksdaNewsie for the review! :-) 

Now... to everyone else... You want more chapters?? You give me reviews! 

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~~~/~@ 

When the doctor got there, everyone was shooed out of the room, and they all waited downstairs. After waiting for what seemed like forever, they all looked up when the doctor came down the stairs. 

"What's wrong with him?" Racetrack asked. He had come back from taking Les home. 

"I would like to speak to Mr. Kloppman alone." The doctor said. 

"Of course... come into my office." Kloppman and the doctor walked through the door. 

"What's wrong with the kid?" Kloppman asked. 

"Well, I checked and re-checked. I think he has cancer in his head. It explains the bloody noses, the headaches, the passing out." 

"Is there anything that can be done?" Kloppman asked. 

"No... I wish there was. There is no cure and he will eventually die. The bleeding with come more often, so will the headaches and loss of consciousness. He will get weaker and he will die." 

"D-does he know this?" Kloppman asked softly. 

"I explained the whole thing to him. I'm so sorry, there's nothing I can do in this situation." 

"How long does he have?" 

" don't know. THere is no telling... but he will still be able to do normal activities for a while." 

"I-uh... thank you, doctor." Kloppman said in a stunned voice. 

THe other newsies waited until Kloppman and the doctor came out of the office. 

"Well?" Race asked, anxiously. 

"Well, let the kind doctor out... and I'll go see to Jack before you all go up there." Kloppman avoided the question. 

" Kloppman walked up the stairs and entered the bunk room. Jack was laying on his bunk with his back towards Kloppman. His shoulders shook with silent cries. Kloppman walked over and put a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack sat up and clutched Kloppman in a hug and cried into his shoulder. 

"I don't wanna die." He muttered. Kloppman rubbed his back soothingly like a parent would. 

"Cowboy... I wish I could make it all go away. You gotta live your life to the fullest now, and hope for the best." 

"I'm only seventeen. I'm not ready. I just fnally found my family... you and the other newsies." Jack said. He pulled his head from Kloppman's shoulder and composed himself. He wiped the wet tears from his face and got the quaver in his voice under control. 

"Thanks Kloppman." 

"So, what do you wanna do about the others?" Kloppman asked. 

"I don't want 'em to know until they have to. Just say I got dehydrated or something." Jack said. 

~~/~@ 

The newsies waited patiently outside of the bunk room. 

"Why did the doctor want to speak with Kloppman alone? Is Jack ok?" Much wondered. 

"He's fine... He's Jack. He pulls through everything." Race said confidently. 

"Yeah but... nevermind." David put his doubts away as Kloppman stepped out of the bunk room. 

"Jack's severely dehydrated. He needs lots of water and rest." He said before going into his own office. Everyone rushed into the bunk room, careful to be quiet. David was first to Jack's bed. 

"Hey there. Kloppman said that it was just dehydration. THat's good to hear. We were all really worried. Well, I gotta go now. Get better." He said bfore getting up to leave. 

"Yeah, bye Dave." Jack said quietly. Jack lied there on the bunk and saw Race put a tall glass of water on the nightstand. 

"Kloppman said you gotta drink lots of water." Race explained. Jack nodded quietly and turned over and closed his eyes. Jack was emotionally drained and fell right to sleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note** This is a story that I wrote last spring... so it IS finished. I'm not just writing it as I go along. It is NOT a MarySue fic even though there will be two females in this story. Don't worry... they aren't in it that often. I just needed them to help me push the story in the direction that I wanted it to go. 

And thanks to these reviewers! 

Randomness, SpottedOne, Pervy Newsie Fancier, SparksdaNewsie, and Kaylee. 

Sorry if my facts and stuff about cancer are not correct. I got all my information from a novel... now... On with the story! 

~~/~@ 

~~/~@ 

A Week Later... 

~~~/~@ 

Race, Mush, and Kid Blink were selling together and talking. 

"Hey, have any of you noticed how different Jack's been acting?" Mush asked. 

"Yeah. He's either very depressed or he's the total opposite and all happy and wanting to do something with everyone." Kid Blink said. 

"Yeah... I don't mind the happy part, but I feel so bad when he's down and depressed... It's like nothing will cheer him up." Race commented. 

"He's been like this since he was sick. Something is not right." Mush said, and they all nodded in agreement. 

After the three finished selling all of their papers they headed back to the Lodging House. Jack was already there and he had most of his belongings spread out on the floor. 

"Watcha doin'?" Mush asked carefully. Jack jumped and turned to face him. 

"Ya scared me. I ain't doing nothin'." He said. He kept one hand hidden behind his back. 

"Well, watcha hiding behind your back? Jack, what's going? We know you've been acting different lately. Why?" Kid Blink asked. Race reached over and grabbed Jack's hand behind his back. 

"What are you hiding?" He asked. He took a pad of paper from Jack's hand and looked at it. Jack looked at the ground, his face growing red as Race read it. 

"Jack, this is a will." Race said quietly. Jack nodded. 

"Why ya makin' a will?" Mush asked. Jack shrugged. 

"You had a scare... you got really sick and it scared you, right?" Kid Blink suggested. Jack nodded in an unconvincing way. 

"Something else? We're gonna find out sooner or later, so tell us." Kid Blink said. 

"Ok, but you can't tell anyone else... you gotta promise." Jack said seriously. They all nodded and promised. 

"K, well... I wasn't sick because of dehydration. The doctor said that I got some cancer or something in my head and nothing can be done about it. I'm dying, guys." Jack said. 

"But you got better after." Race argued. 

"I've had a few bloody noses since then. Today, I came back early because of a stinkin' headache. They're gettin' bad." Jack said. He gestred to a pile of unsold papers on a bunk. 

"How long do you have?" Mush asked. Jack shrugged. 

"I dunno... It's just whenever. But the doc said I'd get sicker before I die." 

"Well, are you alright with this?" Mush asked him. Jack started to nod his head, but it turned to shaking as tears welled up in his eyes. 

"No... I don't think I am yet. It's been hard not to be able to talk to nobody. I'm not ready to die. I'm only seventeen." 

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Kid Blink wanted to know. 

"I didn't want you all to worry. You can't tell anyone, especially David. He's got his own family to worry about." Jack said as he composed himself again. 

"Yeah, ok. You have our word." Race promised him. 

~~/~@ 

"Extra! Extra! Couple kills themselves because of family feud!" Jack yelled out the improved headline. The area theater was putting on a production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. With that headline, his last two papers were sold and he was free for the rest of the day. 

He started walking to Tibby's, but stopped as a wave of dizziness overtook him, and he fell to his knees. He felt gentle arms take his shoulders and ease him to the ground and touch his face. His vision was dark and his hearing was muffled, and he could not see what was happening. 

He felt himself get cooler as shade was put over him. Soon, the dizziness started to face and his vision and hearing cleared. His mind grew sharper and he groaned. 

"What happened?" He mumbled softly and tried to sit up. He was pushed back down. 

"Stay there for a moment. You were really out of it for a while there. Are you OK?" A girl asked. She was holding her umbrella over him for shade. 

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He answered. 

"I didn't know what happened. Could have been the sun, so I shaded you. But, I really don't know what happened. You just kinda fell and you were-" 

"Thanks for the help. You like to talk alot." Jack observed. 

"Um, yeah I guess I do. It's really a problem of mine. I just can't seem to shut up... um... sorry." She blushed. She stood up and reached for Jack's hand to help him up. 

"Thanks." He muttered. 

"You're sure you're OK? Maybe I should walk with you back to wherever you live." 

"Yeah, ok. Thank you, Miss..." 

"Oh, Kelli. Kelli Welles is my name. And you are?" 

"Jack Kelly." Jack answered as they walked to the Lodging House. 

"And if we got married, I'd be Kelli Kelly!" Kelli laughed. 

"Yeah..." Jack smiled half-heartedly. 

"So, what happened back there? You kinda just shrugged it off... like it was no big deal. I don't see that happen every day." Kelli said more seriously. 

"OH, well it happens. Nothing to get really worried about. Well, here we are. The Newsboys Lodging House." Jack changed the subject. 

"Oh, you're a newsie. Guess I'll buy my papers from you from now on." Kelli smiled. 

"Yeah, thanks again." 

"Anytime. Hey... get rest." Kelli said before leaving. 

Jack entered the Lodging House and went to the bunking room. Then, he saw a blood droplet fall to the floor. He rushed to the wash room and washed his face, and held the cloth to his nose while he washed the floor. He washed the cloth after his nose stopped bleeding. Then, he lied down on his bunk and fell asleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note** Wow... I didn't think anything I wrote would mean much to anybody. Thanks everyone. My thanks to the reviewers is at the bottom of the page this time and probably next time. 

~~/~@ 

~~/~@ 

Jack awoke to the laughing and yelling of his friends as they entered the bunk room. 

"Oh, hey shh!! Jack's sleeping." He heard Race tell them all. He sat up. 

"Naw, I'm up now." He mumbled. 

"Well, I guess this explains why you weren't at Tibby's today." David said. 

"Yeah, I just felt really tired after selling." Jack lied. 

"That's not like you. You still feeling the effects of being sick?" David asked. 

"Yeah... that must be it." 

Kid Blink, Race, and Mush all looked at Jack when he said that. They wondered if it had something to do with him being sick or if it was just an excuse for being tired. 

"Well, we were going to go to Medda's tonight. You coming?" David asked. 

"Yeah, sure. What time is it?" Jack asked. 

"6:30." Race answered. 

"Alright then. I'm ready." Jack jumped off his bunk. He held onto the bedpost as a small dizzy spell came and left without notice from anyone else except Race, who glanced at him with concern. 

He gave Race a look that said 'I'm fine.' 

"Come on. Let's go." Skittery sid impatiently. 

~~/~@ 

The newsies all took up the first couple of rows at Medda's. They were all talking before the show, when Jack thought he heard someone call his name. The other newsies heard it too. Then Jack saw the girl who yelled it. And he saw her meet with the Kelli girl from earlier that day. 

"It's not me." Jack informed the other newsies. 

"OH, Jack! Hi!" He turned back again to see Kelli and the other girl coming towards him. He groaned inwardly to himself. 

"You know her?" Mush asked Jack. 

"Kinda..." Jack shrugged, "Hey Kelli." He greeted her. 

"I see you're feeling better." Kelli said sincerely. 

"Feeling better?" David asked. 

"Yeah, I was walking home when I saw him fall to his knees just like that. I ran over and he was really out of it. Almost unconscious but not quite. I watche dover him on the sidewalk until he came around again. Then I walked him home to that lodging house." SHe told the other newsies. 

Jack blushed furiously as the other newsies looked at him. "Wait, you... you didn't want them to know? I'm sorry?" Kelli apologized. 

"No... Hey, it's ok." Jack reassured her. 

"Ok. Oh.. this is my friend, Laura." Kelli introduced her friend. 

"Hey, Laura." Jack smiled kindly at her. 

"Hey, why don't you two girls sit with us... since you helped out Jack and all." Racetrack offered. Jack glared at him and Race raised his eyebrow in return. 

"Um... OK." Laura answered. Kelli and Laura sat own next to the boys. Racetrack turned to Kelli and started talking to her. 

"Um, how bad was Jack earlier when you helped him?" 

"Well, it was kinda scary. I've never seen anyone like that... it just came so suddenly. ANd nobody else on the street seemed to care." Kelli told him. 

"Ok... Guess I'll have to talk with him tonight." Race said. On the other side of Kelli, Mush was trying to have a conversation with Laura. 

"So, Laura... I haven't seen you around the city befoe. You new to town?" Mush asked. 

"No." Laura answered simply. 

"So, where are you all day then?" 

"School." 

"You don't talk much, do you?" 

"Nope." 

"Oh... ok." Mush turned away quietly as the lights dimmed and the show began. 

~~/~@ 

Thanks to all these reviewers!! 

Shimmerwings- Thanks for the suggestion, but I've never written slash before and I don't think I ever could. 

SparksdaNewsie- You DEMAND more? OK fine... here ya go. 

SpottedOne- *HUGS* thank you. 

Crunch- Thanks, I will keep up the writing. 

Crazer1899- *HUGS* You're welcome and thank you very much. 


	5. Chapter 5

***Author's Note*** i'm sorry if my typing sucks. I fell down a flight of concrete stairs, which scared my english teacher half to death as she watched me fall... and now my left hand (my dominant hand) is all swollen. My whole left side is all bruised up. 

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~~/~@ 

Back at the Lodging House, Jack's goal was to get to bed before anyone could ask about what Kelli had said about earlier that day. Just as he climbed onto his bed, David approached him. 

"What was that about at Medda's? Yeah, you lied about just being tired. So, what's really going on?" He asked. Jack knew he couldn't just lie about it again. 

"Ok... everybody wants to know what's going on so here goes. I- I guess I gotta tell ya." Jack said loud enough for everyone to hear. Kid Blink, Mush, and Racetrack all smiled encouragingly at him. 

"Alright, well... when the doctor came he told me that there's cancer or something in my head... and there is no cure. I'm dying. I didn't want you all to worry, so I mad Kloppman lie and I kept it secret. I'm sorry." 

"But you can't die..." David said softly. 

"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do, huh?" Jack smiled at him. 

"What will we do without you?" Boots asked. 

"You'll figure something out, I'm sure." And with taht, Jack lied down on his bunk and went to sleep. 

~~/~@ 

A month later, things settled down and although nobody was happy with the fact that Jack would die, they all accepted it. 

Jack was already looking much paler and was having hosebleeds at least twice a day. There was always at least one person selling with Jack and watching him. Today it was Mush. 

"Extra! Extra! Murder of Dog Involves- wha... Jack?" Mush stopped his yelling when he felt Jack grab onto his sleeve. He reached over and grabbed Jack under his arms to hold him up. 

"Hey, stay with me here... what's wrong, Jack?" 

Jack didn't answer. He was several shades paler than usual and he fell unconscious in Mush's arms. 

"Jack! Mush!" Mush turned to see Kelli and Laura run towards him and Jack. He layed Jack on the ground. 

"I don't know what happened... He just fell unconscious. Oh no... his nose is bleeding again." Mush muttered. Laura handed him a rag to help with Jack's bleeding nose. 

"What's wrong with him? He looks so much sicker than before." Kelli said. 

"Cancer.... he's dying." 

"Dying? But he can't die. If he dies then everything will be different." Kelli said. Larua grabbed her shoulder 

"Kelli, we can't interfere." Laura said sternly. 

"But... He doesn't die in the original history. We have to save him." Kelli insisted. Laura crossed her arms. 

"I won't stop you, but I'm not having any part in it. We were sent just to observe." She argued. 

"Well, your objection will be noted." 

Mush looked blankly at them. 

"I'll explain later." Laura said to him. She took his hand and pulled him away from Jack as Kelli took out what looked like a pocket watch. Kelli touched Jack's shoulder and pushed a button, and they both disappeared. 

"What just happened? They disappeared!!" Mush was frantic. 

"Calm down... I'll explain everything." 

~~/~@ 

Later that night, Laura had explained everything to Mush and walked to the Lodging House. 

"So you two are from the future and you are just staying here to observe this time?" Mush asked. 

"Yeah... then we record almost everything we see, and the information goes into the system and is used somehow. I don't know exactly what is done with it... that's for other people to worry about. But, we're not allowed to interfere with the past or future." Laura explained even further. 

"Hey, Kloppman... isn't it awfully quiet in here?" Mush asked as they entered the lodging house. 

"The others all went to a poker game in Brooklyn." Kloppman answered. 

Öh.. ok." Mush shrugged. He and Laura went upstairs to the bunk room. 

"Kelli!" Laura said in surprise. When the walked into the room, Kelli was sitting over Jack, who was asleep in a bed. 

"Shh... he's sleeping." Kelli said. 

"Is he gonna be ok?" Mush asked quietly, looking at Jack. 

"Yes, he'll be fine. He's just had two weeks of treatment. I brought him far enough into the future so that it could be done fast." Kelli answered. She pulled a blanket up to Jack's chest and walked up to Mush and Laura. 

"Two weeks? But it's not even been a day." said Mush. 

"Well, I came back to this time because I knew the others would be gone, and I dind't want anyoe to know he was gone." Kelli told him. 

"So what do we tell the others?" Mush asked. 

"Tell them all that is was a miracle." Kelli suggested. 

"Right... like they would believe that." 

"And you think they'll believe the truth?" Laura asked him. 

"Well, no..." Mush answered. 

"OK, well... he'll be awake soon. He won't remember anything, and if he does, it will be like a dream. Don't tell him the truth." Kelli told Mush. 

"Ok, thank you." 

"You're welcome. Gotta go. We'll see you around." Kelli said. Her and Laura walked out of the bunking room and left. There was a groan and Mush turned quickly. 

"Jack, you ok?" 

"Yeah... what happened?" Jack asked. 

"Well, you passed out." Mush answered. 

"I had the craziest dream..." 

"Really..." Mush smiled and sat down to listen. 

~~~/~@ 

THE END.... you like? 

~~/~@ 

**Author's Note and explanation for the CheeZy time travellers** When I wrote this story last spring, I originally was gonna kill Jack. I was determined to write a story with a character death because it would be a real challenge for me. I wimped out as you can tell. I was sitting in class writing, and yelled out "i just can't do it! I can't kill him!" I really scared some of the people that aren't close friends with me. So, that's why I made the girls into time travellers... *L* Sorry... I know it's cheeZy. 

Oh... there was a sequal that I was working on that would mostly center around Mush. I never finished it, but if you want me to try to finish it, I will. Just tell me! 

Now... reviewers to thank: 

SpottedOne- yes... cliffhangers are very handy to make the reader's come back for more... took me a couple stories to figure that out. :-) 

Kaylee 

Spartacus 

SparksdaNewsie 

I'm a little teapot- *L* A spork?! 

~~/~@ That's all folks! If your name isn't in here, then you reviewed after I posted this chapter, and I'm really really sorry. I really am! 


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